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Polls: OPS groups back Obi, say knowledge of economy key to recovery

By Waliat Musa
20 February 2023   |   2:55 pm
A coalition of private sector groups has declared support for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

L-R: Deputy President, South-East/South-South Professionals, Mr George Agu; Member, Labour Party, Clara Eromosele; Governorship candidate of Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; Chieftain and representative of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate for the 2023 election, Prof. Pat Utomi; and Chairman, Board of Trustees, South-East/South-South Professionals, Mr. Emeka Ugwuoju, at the Labour Party Agenda For the Organised Private Sector, evening with Peter Obi, held at Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos.

A coalition of private sector groups has declared support for the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

The group, under the auspices of the Good Governance Advocates (GOGA), South-East/South-South professionals, United Nigeria Group, and the Square peg group said it believes that Obi is the only presidential candidate in the forthcoming election who is keen on making private sector investment central to the national productivity agenda.

The group made this known at the Labour Party Agenda for the Private Sector town hall meeting on Sunday, February 17, at the federal Palace Hotel in Lagos.

The event, which brought together multi-sectorial groups and industry players from oil and gas, telecommunication, banking, engineering, technology, education, entertainment, and others, converged to formally declare its support for the LP candidate who they believe stands the best chance to turn the country’s economy around through business-friendly policies and given his track record in managing successful businesses as well as his display of prudent public resources management while he was governor of Anambra State.

The event which was also attended by Labour Party chieftains including professor of political economics, Pat Utomi and Lagos State gubernatorial candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, attracted a list of top industry executives and former directors of banks, multinational institutions, top business executives and entrepreneurs, as well as a large number of supporters of the Labour Party and Obi/Datti Campaign.

They noted that it was not a partisan political movement but driven by the need to rebuild Nigeria while offering business leaders the opportunity to air their opinions and the chance to vote for Peter Obi who will bring about policies that will enable businesses to survive and recover from the already harsh economic environment.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of the occasion, who is the Chairman of The Big-Tent Obi-Datti Independent Campaign Council (BCC), Mr Emmanuel Ijewere, a foremost Accountant and past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), said the Big Tent is a coalition of support groups for a Peter Obi and Datti campaign, he noted that Peter Obi and Datti
Baba Ahmed campaign is a mass movement, not a political campaign.

He remarked that nine different polls have so far confirmed Obi as the leading candidate for president saying that the opposition was in doubt that Peter Obi was leading in the public opinion. He further noted that Obi/Datti campaign is driven by the desire for Nigerians to take their country back in and that efforts are being made to secure the 176, 000 polling units across the country.

He said that the Obi/Datti campaign management council membership has over 60 per cent of the campaign council from the diaspora and all of them are focused on taking Nigeria back.

He called on all Nigerians who will be voting to do so bearing in mind that they will be doing so in the interest and benefits of the diaspora, children, and others who cannot vote.

He said, “The support for Peter Obi and Datti is not driven by what to gain, but by the desire to turn Nigeria around. It is our wish that the child of nobody will become somebody without
knowing anybody. You don’t change by changing others but by changing yourself.”

Noting that the Labour Party doesn’t believe in buying votes, however, it will ensure that all the staff needed to manage the election will be adequately catered for.

“No shishi doesn’t mean that the party will not support party agents and is determined to support young people,” he said, adding that the electorate needed to be educated on how to vote as there would be no picture of Obi and Datti-Ahmed on the ballot, but the picture of the party

Also speaking, the Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, said the Labour party is on course to making history stating that Nigerians were in the mood to make real change and to make history.

“It’s about people choosing their leaders. This election is the only way we can get a new Nigeria. There is the hand of God in Peter obi campaign,” Rhodes Vivour said.

He encouraged the electorates not to be scared o coming out to vote as the security agencies are on top of their game to get rid of troublemakers in the state.
“Winning Lagos will be the ultimate victory for our democracy,” he insisted.

On his part, Utomi said he is optimistic Nigerians will succeed in electing a leader that will serve the people, stating that Obi and Datti-Ahmed are the two that will dedicate their lives to the public good.

He noted that politics should lead to economic growth saying that Peter Obi understands business is an important requirement that his government will provide a good regulatory environment for businesses to thrive.

“Nigeria needs a president that understands business, a president that can restore respect to Nigerian,” said Utomi Other leaders and business executives from across the industry agreed on the need to have a change of leadership and to bring on board a business-friendly president like Peter Obi who will understand and address the plights of business people and corporations in Nigeria.

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